Good Ideas
by PezberryFeelings
Summary: How Rachel and Santana became roommates. Think of it as a one-shot prequel to Wow She Has No Game.


Kurt has been living in New York for a few months while interning at Vogue but was accepted to the spring semester at Nyada. To celebrate he and Rachel decided to check out this new nightclub that opened a couple months ago. It's got a jazzy piano bar feel so they figured it would be a nice place to relax and have a good time. They made their way over to the bar.

While cleaning glasses the bartender noticed two people take a seat. "18 to sit, 21 to drink. What can I get for you?"

"Santana?" Rachel asked.

The bartender looked up. "Oh my god. Gayberry, it's been a long time."

Kurt smiled excitedly. "What are you doing here? We didn't even know you were in New York!"

"Well, I got into the spring semester at Nyada so in the meantime I came out here and got a job to get some income flowing before I burn through my mother's check."

"I got into the spring semester too! We're here celebrating."

"Very nice, ladyface. Forget the 21 thing. Have a drink on me." Santana makes them both a malibu. "If anyone asks, it's pineapple juice."

They grab their drinks and Santana rolls her eyes. "Ok is there something wrong? You've been here for like 5 minutes and Rachel hasnt said a word yet. It's creeping me out."

Rachel smiled and looked towards Santana. "It's nothing. I'm just surprised. It's really good to see you."

Santana smiled and Rachel glanced over to a flyer on the counter saying tonight is open-mic night. Rachel got excited and grabbed Kurt's arm. "Oh! I have an idea!"

Kurt shook his head. "No, I don't like it when you have ideas."

Santana quirked and eyebrow. "Hey now, I love that Rachel always has so many ideas. If she didn't then how would she eventually come up with a good one?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You haven't changed a bit."

Santana nodded and grabbed two napkins. She wrote her number down on each and handed it to the two of them. "I have to get back to work but keep in touch. Have fun exploring whatever Rachel's idea is."

They smiled and started to walk away when Rachel turned back to Santana. "It really is good to see you. I heard about you and Brittany breaking up. I didn't think you'd actually ever come out here though."

Santana smirked back at her. "It's cool. Like I've said before, fame is my mistress, and this is the place to be, right?"

Rachel nodded. "You're absolutely right and you're off to a great start." She smiled and walked away to catch up to Kurt.

Santana went back to serving customers when a few minutes later she heard the band start playing the tune to For Good from Wicked. She looked over and saw Rachel and Kurt on the stage.

Santana smirked and said to herself "you haven't changed a bit either."

* * *

Santana was standing on the subway making her way home from work when she looked over and saw Rachel sleeping in a chair. She walked over and shook her gently. "Rachel? Hey Rachel wake up."

Rachel jumps out of her sleep. "I have a taser!" And she tasered Santana in the arm and she fell to the floor. The rest of the passengers completely ignored her.

"Oh god Santana! I'm sorry I didn't know it was you. I thought I was being robbed!"

"Newsflash, I'm pretty sure someone trying to rob you wouldn't wake you up first!"

Rachel felt guilty. "I didn't think that would hurt so much, it's pink."

"It didn't feel like pink." Rachel reached down to help her up. Santana looked around at the other passengers still ignoring her. "Oh don't worry everyone, I'm fine." She reached out and grabbed Rachel's hand and stood up.

"What are you doing sleeping on the subway?"

"Oh I just fell asleep on my way home."

"Don't lie to me. You're terrible at it."

Rachel looked down, playing with her fingers. "I couldn't afford my rent so I've been sleeping on the subway a few nights a week when I cant come up with an excuse to stay with a friend."

Santana nodded and grabbed her hand. "Come on. I'm the next stop. You're coming home with me."

They walked into Santana's apartment. She gestured over to the couch. "You can sleep there."

Rachel walked over and touched the couch. She made a disgusted face at all the tears and stains.

Santana moved closer to her. "Oh, I'm sorry, is this not good enough for you? Not enough strangers on their way home from work? Does it not move fast enough? Would it make you feel more comfortable if I made announcements every 5 minutes?"

Rachel smiled at her. "No, it's fine. I really appreciate this. If someone told me I'd find myself sleeping on Santana Lopez's couch some day I'd have told them they need to stop drinking." Rachel moved over to sit on the couch.

Santana smiled and handed her a pillow and blanket. "Why aren't you just staying with Kurt?"

Rachel looked down and bit her lip. "He's got a lot going on. I didn't want to trouble him."

Santana scoffed. "Since when? You pride yourself on being a trouble to other people. And I believe I already told you you're bad at lying."

Rachel looked up at her. "I didn't tell him. I didn't want anyone to know I'm in a little financial trouble. My loans covered Nyada with enough left over for rent but not enough for my own place this semester and Kurt already has a roommate. And I've been banned from the dorms because my singing disrupts everyone at night."

"You know, you could just not sing."

Rachel gasped. "Why don't you just tell me to stop breathing?!"

Santana smiled. "I'm pretty sure I have."

Rachel laughed and Santana sat down on the couch next to her. "It's ok, you know? You can stay here as long as you need to. Rent free so you can save up for next semester."

Rachel smiled and quickly hugged her. "You have a big heart underneath that black tar coating."

"Shh, don't tell anyone." Santana winked then got up to head to her bedroom. "Night."

"Goodnight."

Santana walked towards her bed and faintly smiled when she heard the muffled sound of Rachel singing.

* * *

Santana woke up and walked into the living room. Rachel was nowhere to be found. She sat down on the couch to watch some TV when Rachel walked through the front door.

"Oh good morning! You're already up. You had no food in the house so I figured I'd run to the store and make you some breakfast as a thank you. Miss me?"

"With every bullet so far," Santana mumbled. She's not particularly a morning person.

"I'm going to make french toast. You like that, right?"

"Word? I get french toast and I didn't even have to put out? I could get used to this."

Rachel smiled and made her way to the kitchen to cook.

* * *

They sat together at the kitchen table eating when Santana broke the silence. "The nightclub is looking for a full time singer. I do it sometimes when I'm on my break and I thought about taking the job but bartending pays better. I namedropped you last night to my boss though. If you're interested he wants you to come in tonight and perform. Kind of like an audition. He liked your performance last night but he wants to see what you can do on your own."

"Are you serious? I would love that!"

"Great. Just come to work with me tonight then. I'm sure you'll land the job."

Rachel smiled, playing with her food. "Were you serious about getting used to this?"

Santana raised and eyebrow. "Is this your way of telling me you want me to put out?"

Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. "No! I just meant, you know. Just us kind of staying together. I have enough money and with this job I'd have more. We could pool our finances together and get a two-bedroom. With a nicer couch just in case you stumble across anyone else you knew in highschool sleeping on the subway."

Santana thought about it for a second and smirked. "So long as they don't taser me."

Rachel looked embarrassed. "I still feel really bad about that."

Santana just shook her head. "My lease is up next month and I would like a better place; so I don't completely hate that idea. Congratulations, Rachel, you finally came up with a good one."

Rachel smiled widely at her. "Well it was bound to happen some day."

Santana started laughing to herself. "This is funny. If anyone told me I'd some day consider living with Rachel Berry _I'd_ have told them to stop drinking."

Rachel giggled, remembering their conversation from last night. "It could be fun though. We could be like the odd couple."

Santana scoffed and smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. No one is more odd than you are."

Rachel smiled and raised her glass of orange juice to Santana. "To good ideas."

Santana shook her head. "See, this is what I'm talking about." She chuckled but raised her own glass anyway and clinked it against Rachel's.

They finished their breakfast while catching up on lost time. Santana thought to herself there is a very slim chance this will work out. But she figured Rachel is looking a lot hotter now than she did in highschool so catching that view every day might be worth the soap opera she knows she's getting herself into.


End file.
